Kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rat
Mammal
A desert rodent that gets all the water it needs from the seeds it eats, leaping far on powerful hind legs to escape predators.
A small, leaping rodent native to North American deserts.
💡 Fun Facts
- They never need to drink water in their entire lives, extracting all they need from the seeds they eat.
- Their powerful hind legs allow them to leap up to 9 feet to escape predators like rattlesnakes.
- They have specialized cheek pouches to carry seeds back to their burrows.
Name Story
Dipodomys sp.
means “the two-footed mouse”
What does its name mean?
- Dipodomys — two-footed mouseGreek (dipous, 'two-footed' + mys, 'mouse')
- kangaroo rat — for its kangaroo-like hoppingEnglish
Both its names agree: this little desert rodent bounds along on big back legs like a miniature kangaroo, with a long tail for balance. Most astonishing of all, some kangaroo rats can live their whole lives without ever drinking, squeezing all the water they need from dry seeds.